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Abstract: Professor Flinders* makes a strong case that our obsession with accountability has turned “problematic” and even “pathological”.While agreeing with the gist of the argument, I contend that the essence of the problem is more ontological than political.What we require is a radical “reframing” that highlights the pervasive role accountability relationships play in governance— that is, an approach that would shift attention to the alteration of ongoing governance arrangements and relationships that occurs with each reformist effort to “enhance” or “improve” accountability. Governance takes place within accountability spaces, and we need to give priority to research that maps that space as a first step toward understanding the nature and potential of accountable governance.
*Flinders, Matthew. 2011. “Daring to be a Daniel”. Administration & Society 43:595-619.
